Electrically-operated horn for motor-vehicles



G. FRECHEVILLE.

ELECTRICALLY OPERATED HORN FOR MOTOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT-1,1920. 1,373,496.

Patented Apr. 5, 1921.

NR 1 A:

circuit whic UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE FRECHEVILLE, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed September 1,1920. Serial No. 407,545.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE FREoHnvILLn, a subject of the King of England, residing at London, England, have invented certain 5 new and useful Improvements in Electri- 1 motor vehicles. The object of the present invention is to enable a driver to actuate an electrically-operated horn without releasing his grip on the steering wheel.

Accordin to this invention the electric operates a motor horn is led to a contact, switch or the like, so disposed in the rim of the steering wheel that the driver can operate it with the tips of his fingers or thumb without releasing his grip of the wheel.

Preferably according to this invention a steering wheel, for use with an electrically operated born for a motor vehicle, comprises the combination with a Wheel rim counter- 2 sunk around its periphery for example sulated from one another but adapted to be pressed into contact to complete the electrical circuit and sound the horn.

The channels to contain the switch may ing wheels, the channels and switch elements may conveniently be provided' in one or more fillets, which may be secured to the steering, wheel Thus, in a dev ce forenabling an electriinto contact therewith. The fixed contacts may themselves be metallic plates or a series of metallic studs.

This invention further comprises the employment of one or more fillets'arranged to be attached to the rim of a steering wheel and containing (1) channels which extend around or substantially around said rim,

(2) two switch contacts in each channel connected in the electric circuit of the motor horn, one of which contacts is movable and is normally held separate and insulated from the corresponding fixed contact or contacts, but adapted to be pressed into contact therewith.

Thus, the invention includes the combination with a steering wheel for use with an electrically-operated horn for a motor vehicle, of quadrant-shaped fillets extending around the inside of the wheel rim between the radial arms and secured to said rim and provided with electrical contacts in the electric circuit of the motor horn, consisting of one quadrant-shaped metal plate fixed to the bottom of each said channel and a second quadrant-shaped movable metal plate attached to a plate of insulating material normally heldseparate and insulated from the fixed contact but adapted to be pressed into .contact therewith.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate by way of example methods of ing the switch elements attached thereto in quadrant-shaped fillets, and L Fig. 4: is a section of the rim and attached fillet.

Referring to Fig. 1 a portion of the rim Patented Apr. 5, 1921.

' conveniently be placed in other parts of the carrying this invention into effect, 35 wheel rim than its under-surface (for ex- Figure 1 is a section of one'form of steerample in the inside of the rim in the spaces in wheel embodying this inventiom and between the radial arms of the steering big. 2 is a section of a rim showing anwheel). For purposes of the application of other embodiment of this invention; the switch device to already existing steer- Fig. 3 is a plan of a steering wheel havprises theprovis onyouthe steering wheel'- :4 callyi-operatedmotor, horn to be: actuated.

I A of the steering wheel, preferablyron the from thelsteerlngwheel,thisinvention coni= under-surface, is c'ounter-s'unk,.and in the hollow B thus formed is arranged Ea conf rim-10f channels extending aroundthe inside .tactswitch. Conveniently the switch; may

of. saidrimgbfitweeni-the radial arms, each rzconsist of ztwometa'l rings C and Dlextend- -50 saidf v,ch'ajmlel r,having;combined; in, it two-Zing around the. whole? or --'a large partofthe witehecntacts connected in the electric cir-e of the. steeringwheehin the groove on nit] f the moto v 1 1or,I1",.,one,of-yvliich con-vv zunder-surface. Thes'e metalliorplates acts,{1 ;-mQVa;bl@ja Ild is in the ,;:form ,0f aw are held apart in the groove at intervals by .-.-metal quad-rant,anormallytheldseparated-- stu -ds made of suitable insulating-.mate- 55 and insulated from the corres onding fixed riala The-lowenstrip may bewcove'r'ed on fcontaet ci eontactibtitadaptecfto be pressed its vunder side; wlth insulating material; F,

and the lower strip is of such a nature that pressure on its insulating undersurface causes the lower strip to come into contact with the upper, thus completing the electric circuit and sounding the horn. The upper plate C is secured to the base of the slot B and the lower ring D, or preferably the plate of insulating material may be engaged at its edges by flange members Asecured to the rim A. The conducting wires G connected with the strips are led along a groove in one of the radial arms H, of the steering wheel, and then down the inside of the steering column J, so thatthe whole of the electric connections are compact and concealed.

Referring to Fig. 2, the insulating studs are dispensed with, the metal rings C and D do not extend out to the sidesof the slot B but leave a clear space on each side. The insulated plate F, however, extends right across the slot B, and is perforated by holes F engaged by positioning pins K, secured between the rim A and retaining flange members A, and disposed at intervals all around the rim. These positioning .pins are surrounded by spiral springs L lying between the non-conducting plate F and the base of the slot B, so that the rings C and D are held apart and insulated from one another all around the rim, but can readil be pressed into contact at any point of t eir I circumference against the action of the springs L.

Re erring to Figs. 3 and 4, which illustrate the application of this invention to an existing steering wheel, the example illustrates the insertion of the switch in the inside of the rim between the radial arms of thesteering wheehso that the switch can be operated'either by the tips of the fingers, or by pressure from the drivers thumb. The steering wheel A has four radial arms H. There is applied between each two adjacent arms a quadrant-shaped fillet M, conveniently of wood, or material similar to. that of which the steering wheelis made. This fillet M on its inner surface is provided with a channel B in which the switchcontacts lie. At the bottom of the channel is a fixed contact C which may consist of a quadrant-shaped metal plate fixed to the bottom of the channel, or the equivalent thereof. Thev movable metal contact D,

which may also be a'quadrant-shaped metal. plate, is narrower than the channel B, but

'is fixed to a plate F of insulating material which fits hicely in the channel. The plate I 00 the fixed contact C by spri of insulating material F and therefore the movable metal contact D, is held away from L, convenientlysmall' spiral springs dlsposed at the edges of the channel B, arid the insulating plate F may be prevented from coming out of the channel by retaining flange members a rim havin pla e V v A vehicle steering wheel com rising a m and radial arms, a fillet s'ecur to the M At the points of interruption caused by the radial arms H, the electrical connections may be completed by a short length of cable N. I

By the arrangements embodying this in- ,vention the driver is able at all times to sound the horn without moving either of his hands from their accustomed positions on the wheel, and without releasing his grip, no matter in ,what position on the circumference of the wheel his hands may be.

The word rim as used in the claims is definitive either of the ordinary construction such as illustrated in Figs. 1 to 3 of the drawings, or of the composite construciilion comprising fillets, such as illustrated in What I claim as m invention and desire to secure by Letters atent is I p 1. A vehicle steering wheel, comprising a rim having circumferentially extending members projecting therefrom, said rim and members presenting a circumferentially ex.- tending channel, a fixed contact plate secured in said channel, a movable contact plate normally separated therefrom and held [I]. position by said members, and electrical connections for said plates.

2. A vehicle steering wheel, comprising a rim havi circumferentially extendin members pro ecting from one side thereo said rim and members presenting a circumferentially extending channel, a'fixed contact plate secured in said channel, a movable contact plate normally separated therefrom and held in position by said members,

-members, a contact plate secured to said insulating plate, means for maintaining said contact plates in normally-separated rela-- tion, and' electrical connections for said h I wheel, comprising plates. .g 4. A vehicle\stee circ erentially extendin members pro ecting from one side-thereo said rim and members presenting a circumferentially extending channel with said members projecting. "partially across the channeha fixed contactplate secured in said channel, a movable contact plate held in oerentially exsition byss'aid members, means for norma ly holding said plates separated, said means ermitting the plates to be brought into con t, 1 and electrical connections for said inside of said rim between said arms and constituting a continuation of said rim, said fillet having members projecting therefrom, said fillet and memberspresenting a channel, a fixed contact plate in said channel,

a movable contact plate. in said channel, and

bers, and electrical connections for said plates.

7. A vehicle steering wheel having a rim and radial arms, fillets secured to said rim and shaped to conform to and constitute an extension thereof, said fillets having circumferentially extending members projecting therefrom, said fillets and said members presenting circumferentially extending channels, a fixed contact plate secured in each of said channels, a movable contact plate in each of said channels, means for normally holding said plates in separated relation, and electrical connections for said plates, said members limiting the movement of said movable plates in one direction and forming guards preventing theaccidental operation of said movable plates.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

GEORGE FREOHE'VILLE. 

